Gang violence closes Cape clinic
Gang violence has forced the temporary closure of the Hanover Park clinic in Cape Town.
|||Cape Town - Gang violence has forced the temporary closure of the Hanover Park clinic, and staff have been moved to the Newfields Village satellite facility.
Additional services will also be offered at the Hanover Park Community Health Centre, even though its doors were closed on Sunday because of shootings.
Mayco member for Health Siyabulela Mamkeli said counselling had been made available to staff members who were left traumatised because of ongoing gang violence.
Mamkeli said the clinic would be closed from Thursday until further notice.
Patients would have to travel to Newfields for treatment. “I will also engage with the City’s Safety and Security directorate about the possibility of deploying additional resources to assist police in bringing stability to the area,” said Mamkeli.
The provincial Health Department said services were running normally at the Hanover Park Community Health Centre after the facility closed its Trauma and Maternity and Obstetrics Units (MOU) on Sunday evening because of a gang fight outside the main gate.
Provincial Health Department spokesperson Monique Johnstone said there was sufficient security on duty to ensure that the necessary safety measures were enforced.
“Three patients wounded by the shootings were treated and discharged, and no violence took place in the facility. We have support from police, the metro police and the Hanover Park Community Police Forum to provide further protection.”
Johnstone said security was provided to ensure staff were delivered to a safe drop-off point outside the “danger zone”. Hanover Park ward councillor Antonio van der Rheede said the shootings took place occasionally in a certain area.
“The area manager said the shooting took place in the vicinity.”
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said circumstances around the shooting were being investigated.
siyavuya.mzantsi@inl.co.za
@Siyavuya2
Cape Times
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